Switch and toner with universal shaft joint

ABSTRACT

A multi-control mechanism comprising in combination separate rotary control means having coaxial rotary adjusting shafts respectively and a switch means related to one of said rotary adjusting shafts which is axially slidable, said switch means being adapted to be operable in response to the sliding motion thereof. The above said axially slidable rotary adjusting shaft has a clearance means and a universal joint means.

United States Patent [191 I rnamura [451 Oct. 14, 1975 SWITCH AND TONER WITH UNIVERSAL SHAFI JOINT [75] Inventor: Masayoshi Imamura, Kawaguchi,

Japan [73] Assignee: Clarion C0., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan [22] Filed: Sept. 14, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 397,333

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 20, 1972 Japan 47-108420 [52] US. Cl. 200/337; 334/54; 317/112;

287/53 SS; 338/172 [51] Int. Cl. H03J l/06 [58] Field of Search 334/47, 49, 53, 54;

200/14,17 R, 17 A,18, 155 R, 159 R, 4, 307, 329, 337; 338/134, 172, 198, 200; 287/189.36 M, 53 R, 53 SS, DIG. 10;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,976,375 3/1961 Valdettaro 200/14 3,166,714 l/1965 Hien 334/53 3,187,118 6/1965 Butler 338/134 3,230,321 1/1966 McCann.... 200/17 R 3,697,921 10/1972 Urwin 338/172 3,747,043 7/1973 VanBenthuysen... 338/134 3,761,649 9/1973 Jedynak 200/17 R Primary Examiner-Gerald P. Tolin Attorney, Agent, or FirmWa1lenstein, Spangenberg, Hattis & Strampel ABS IRACT A multi-control mechanism comprising in combination separate rotary control means having coaxial rotary adjusting shafts respectively and a switch means related to one of said rotary adjusting shafts which is axially slidable, said switch means being adapted to be operable in response to the sliding motion thereof. The above said axially slidable rotary adjusting shaft has a clearance means and a universal joint means.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 3,912,896

1 SWITCH AND TONER WITH UNIVERSAL SHAFT JOINT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a multi-control mechanism, and more particularly to a tuning shaft mechanism in the case where an operating shaft is provided with a push-button switch in addition to a volume control or a tone controller, etc.

As is well known, a radio receiver to be mounted on a car is provided with a knob for operation of a power source switch, a volume control or a hand-operated tuning shaft in addition to a group of push buttons for tuning.

Out of the necessity of utilizing the front panel space of a receiver effectively for mounting such a variety of operating knobs and of adjusting the external appearance of the panel, the operating shaft is in many cases made dual and the operating knobs are usually disposed in combinations such as mainly the tuning shaft and the tone adjusting knob, the power source switch and the volume adjusting knob, and so forth.

However, such an audio apparatus to be mounted on a car is not a radio receiver alone, but is in many cases provided together with a tape reproducing apparatus or the like; in such cases, the operating buttons or operating knobs on the front panel could not but inevitably increase in number.

This invention is to eliminate such a defective point as mentioned above by interlocking with a dual operating shaft a single shaft which is coupled to a tuner or the like so as to make three kinds of control operations controllable by a single knob provided at one place.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the multi-control mechanism of this invention, a first rotary adjust means, which may be a volume control device comprising a rotary, variable resistor has an adjusting shaft which is coaxial with that of a second means which is axially and rotatably movable. The second means may be a switch operated so as to be adapted to occupy a plurality of angular positions after for all of its axial positions. A third rotary adjusting means, which may be a tuner of a car radio set, is connected through its adjusting shaft to the second means shaft to be operated in response to the rotation of the latter. In order to provide the operation of the switch means after its shaft .is pushed, a clearance means is provided between this second means shaft and the third means shaft. Further, in order to facilitate the mounting of the multi-control mechanism to a frame or the like, at least one angle adjusting means consisting of a universal joint may be provided between said second means shaft and said third means shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a tuning shaft mechanism in disassembled form of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the essential part in enlarged form of said mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a mounting plate in which, for example, a rectangular mounting hole 1 is provided, and, in said mounting hole 1, for example, a mounting shaft 2 of a volume control 2 is inserted and fixed by a lock nut 2", said mounting shaft 2' being constructed'in dual shaft form. A rotary shaft 3 of a volume control 2 is provided, and, inside said shaft 3, there is provided an operating shaft 4 for a push-button switch 5. This switch 5 is formed integrally with the volume control 2 and is coupled to said operating shaft 4, so that the operating shaft 4 is pressed to slide axially to thereby operate the push-button switch 5. Also, the operating shaft 4 is mounted rotatably with respect to said rotary shaft 3 and is passed therethrough so that the terminal portion 4' thereof is positioned at the rear of the push-button switch 5 and coupled to a mounting hole 6' of a channel-shaped metal member 6. This channel-shaped metal member 6 has bent sides 7 and 8 which are provided with slots 7 and 8 respectively. In these slots 7 and 8, aligned arms 9-9 of a coupling member 9" are inserted. The coupling member 9" has aligned arms 10-10 extending transversely to arms 9-9 engaged in slots 12 and 13 provided in bent said 12' and 13' respectively of a separately provided channel-like metal member 1 1. This channel-like meta! member 11 is formed so as to become rectangular in the axial direction and is constructed so that, when the member arms l0--l0 are engaged in said slots 12 and 13, said arms 10-10 can slide along these slots 12 and 13. That is to say, as shown in FIG. 2, the channel-like metal member 11 and the channel-shaped metal member 6 are coupled by the arms 99 and l0l0 to form what is called a universal joint. Further, to the channel-like metal member 11 is coupled a shaft 14, which is further coupled to, as one example, a tuning operating shaft 16' of a tuner 16 through a coupling joint 15 which permits pivoting or folding of shaft 14 relative to the fixed shaft 16 in a horizontal direction as viewed in FIG. 1. Accordingly, shafts 2, 4 and 14 can be moved bodily as a unit in a plane containing the axes of all of the shafts because of the coupling joint 15 when unit 2" is loosened to permit such movement along the mounting hole 1.

This invention constructed as above functions as will be stated hereunder. That is to say, when a knob mounted to the operating shaft 3 is operated, the volume control 2 is adjusted. Also, when a separate knob mounted to the operating shaft 4 which forms a dual shaft with the operating shaft 3 for said volume control 2 is rotated, the channel-shaped metal member 6 fixed to the terminal portion 4 of said operating shaft 4 is rotated. In the slots 7 and 8 of said channel-shaped metal member 6, the arms 99 of the coupling memher 9 are engaged, so that, if the metal member 6 is rotated, the arms 9-9 in the slots 7-8 of the member 6 will also be rotated to rotate the associated arms 10l0 in the slots 12-13 of channel-like metal member 11, thereby to rotate the member 11. This rotational action is transmitted to the shaft 16' through the shaft 14 and universal joint 15.

In this way, a tuning operation is applied to the tuner 16 so that tuning is carried out to receive the desired broadcast wave. Next, in the case of switching on or off a power source for a radio receiver equipped with such tuning mechanism, the push-button switch 5 is operated by pressing the operating shaft 4 which is interlocked with said push-button switch 5. This pushbutton switch 5 is constructed so that, when the operating shaft 4 is pressed, the switch mechanism is closed. Then, when the shaft 4 is released, the shaft 4 alone returns to its original condition, the closed-circuit condition of the switch mechanism being maintained as it is, and, when the shaft 4 is pressed again, the switch mechanism is converted to an open-circuit condition. Accordingly, when the operating shaft 4 is pressed, it slides axially inside the shaft 3 to change-over the pushbutton switch 5 and, at the same time, to move axially the channel-shaped metal member 6 fixed to the tenninal portion 4 of said shaft 4. In this case, because the arms 99 of the coupling member 9" are engaged in the slots 7 and 8 of said channel-shaped metal member 6 and the other arms 10l0 thereof are engaged in the slots 12 and 13 of the channel-like metal member 11, it follows that, with the movement of the channelshaped metal member 6, said coupling member arms 10-10 along the slots 12 and 13 of the channel-like metal member 11, the pressing action of the operating shaft 4 not extending to the channel-like metal member 1 1.

As stated above, according to this invention, in a dual shaft for operation of a volume control provided together with a push-button switch, an axially slidable universal joint is coupled to the terminal of an operating shaft to which the push-button switch is coupled and, further, a rotary operating shaft for a tuner is also coupled to said joint, so that it is possible, with the dual shaft for operation, to effect control of the volume or tone quality and, at the same time, to carry out the operation of the power source switch and the tuner, or the like, that, in the case of an audio apparatus to be mounted on a car that is limited in space of installation, it is possible to utilize the front panel effectively, and that, even in the case where an audio apparatus such as car stereo or the like is provided together with a radio receiver, it is possible to provide change-over switch, etc. operating knobs for that purpose. Thus, this invention makes it possible to improve the operation efficiency as compared with conventional one and exhibits very excellent effects in practical use.

I claim:

1. In combination, a first rotary adjusting means having a first adjusting shaft; a second rotary adjusting means having a second adjusting shaft; a coupling joint interconnecting said first adjusting shaft with said second adjusting shaft so said first adjusting shaft can be moved axially in all the different possible rotary positions thereof without moving the second adjusting shaft in a corresponding axial direction, said coupling joint comprising a first channel-shaped member secured to said first operating shaft for axial and rotatable movement therewith and having slotted axially extending sides, a coupling member having a first pair of aligned arms engaged within the slots in the sides of said first channel-shaped member so as to be rotatably and axially moved therewith and a second pair of aligned arms extending in a direction transversely to said first pair of aligned arms, and a second channel-shaped member connected to said second adjusting shaft and having axially extending slotted sides which axially slidably receive in slots therein said second pair of aligned arms of said coupling member so that the coupling member can be moved axially within said slots without imparting similar axial movement to said second channelshaped member and adjusting shaft to which it is connected, the rotation of said coupling member by the rotation of said first channel-shaped member imparting a corresponding rotation to said second channel-shaped member by the force applied thereto through said second pair of aligned arms of said coupling member engaged therewith in the slots thereof; an on-off switch unit coupled to and operated by said first adjusting shaft and operable between circuit opening and circuit closing positions as said first adjusting shaft is moved axially between first and second axially spaced positions; and a tuning unit which is operable upon rotation of said second adjusting shaft.

2. The multi-control mechanism of claim 1 wherein there is provided a third rotary adjusting means having a third adjusting shaft, said third adjusting shaft being coaxially related with respect to said first adjusting shaft, and a third device constituting a volume control operated by rotation of said third adjusting shaft.

3. The multi-control mechanism of claim 1 wherein said tuning unit is coupled to said second adjusting shaft through a joint which pennits said first and second adjusting shafts to be moved bodily together as a unit in a given plane direction containing the axes of the shafts. 

1. In combination, a first rotary adjusting means having a first adjusting shaft; a second rotary adjusting means having a second adjusting shaft; a coupling joint interconnecting said first adjusting shaft with said second adjusting shaft so said first adjusting shaft can be moved axially in all the different possible rotary positions thereof without moving the second adjusting shaft in a corresponding axial direction, said coupling joint comprising a first channel-shaped member secured to said first operating shaft for axial and rotatable movement therewith and having slotted axially extending sides, a coupling member having a first pair of aligned arms engaged within the slots in the sides of said first channel-shaped member so as to be rotatably and axially moved therewith and a second pair of aligned arms extending in a direction transversely to said first pair of aligned arms, and a second channel-shaped member connected to said second adjusting shaft and having axially extending slotted sides which axially slidably receive in slots therein said second pair of aligned arms of said coupling member so that the coupling member can be moved axially within said slots without imparting similar axial movement to said second channel-shaped member and adjusting shaft to which it is connected, the rotation of said coupling member by the rotation of said first channel-shaped member imparting a corresponding rotation to said second channel-shaped member by the force applied thereto through said second pair of aligned arms of said coupling member engaged therewith in the slots thereof; an on-off switch unit coupled to and operated by said first adjusting shaft and operable between circuit opening and circuit closing positions as said first adjusting shaft is moved axially between first and second axially spaced positions; and a tuning unit which is operable upon rotation of said second adjusting shaft.
 2. The multi-control mechanism of claim 1 wHerein there is provided a third rotary adjusting means having a third adjusting shaft, said third adjusting shaft being coaxially related with respect to said first adjusting shaft, and a third device constituting a volume control operated by rotation of said third adjusting shaft.
 3. The multi-control mechanism of claim 1 wherein said tuning unit is coupled to said second adjusting shaft through a joint which permits said first and second adjusting shafts to be moved bodily together as a unit in a given plane direction containing the axes of the shafts. 